Understanding the formation of planetesimals in protoplanetary disks requires insights into the instabilities caused by dust particles in gas streams. The authors use particle image velocimetry in microgravity to reveal a granular shear-flow instability, resembling a Kelvin-Helmholtz instability, offering a benchmark for two-fluid theories in planet formation.
- Holly L. Capelo
- Jean-David Bodénan
- Antoine Pommerol